- Messages
- 1,447
- Reactions
- 3,149
Last year we moved. Now I'm ridiculously close to the Banks Vernonia Trail. I've enjoyed riding bikes as a form of exercise for the last two to three years now.
I've got an old workhorse Costco special that is heavy to say the least. I've also been towing my son along in his Burley tow along.
Right now I average about 10-15 miles every other day or third day. Depending mostly on the toddlers behavior at any given moment.
I'm looking to get a bit more serious and upgrade to a nicer lighter bike that will make things smoother and allow me to go further more efficiently and more comfortably
Thing is I haven't a clue to what I need and the options are a lot more than I expected.
So based on that information. Should I go straight to a road bike? Would it still be a good option for towing the kid?
What about hybrids?
Or another mountain bike type?
I've done some looking at what's available. I think I like the idea of the hybrid type bikes. As I don't know if i really want to go with a road bike. Though I may get more serious and it may become something I take up as a viable hobby too.
This Specialized is checking all the boxes.
View attachment 704698
My current workhorse... View attachment 704699
Before you buy any bike, go to the bike shop and ride it as far as they will let you to make sure it fits right. Like you, I thought hybrids sounded good, so I got one and it is OK, but my back prefers my Trek mountain bike.
If you think that Specialized bike will work for you, if it fits right, and if it's in your price range, I'd get it and try it out. Specialized used to be an excellent brand, and I'd assume it still is. I thought most Specialized bikes would be more expensive than your budget, but if not go for it. If you plan to put fenders on it, make sure there is room between the wheel and frame - on my hybrid the fenders were a tight fit, so when the front wheel picked up a piece of metal, it locked up and over the bars I went, fortunately going very slowly.
Lance Armstrong rides Trek. I'll bet you can get a decent Trek bike in your price range. I have a 10+ year old Series 3 (cheap models) Trek mountain bike, that I ride quite a bit every year - it is excellent - well worth the $400-500 I paid for it new during a 4th of July sale.
If you want lower rolling resistance from your mountain bike and ride mostly pavement, put some Serfas tires on it and blow them up to 60+ psi (they are good for 80 psi):
Serfas Drifter City Tire - 26 x 2.0 | REI Co-op
Turn your mountain bike into a city cruiser with the Drifter tire.
www.rei.com
Trek bikes:
Trek Bikes - The world's best bikes and cycling gear
Discover the fun of riding with our wide range of electric, mountain, road, city, gravel, kids', and certified pre-owned bikes. Shop online or in-store!
www.trekbikes.com